Sheet holder



Jan. 18, 1944.

A. .1. l JNETl C SHEET HOLDER Filed Feb. 2,. i942 INVENTOR ANDREW J U/VET/C ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 18, 1944 SHEET HOLDER Andrew J. Unetic, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application.February 2, 1942, Serial No. 429,349

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet holders, that is to say devices for clamping together through certain of the registering rivet holes two sheetsto be joined together by riveting, these devices being used temporarily until a sufiicient number of rivets have been set to hold the. sheets against accidental movement. relative to each other.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a device of this character whichshall be simple and economical in construction, easily manipulated, and effective and certain in its operation.

Other. objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of. that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of. the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical elevational View largely in vertical central section of a sheet holder embodying the invention shown inconnection with a pair of pliers for manipulating the same.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the holder only, the view being taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale taken on the same plane as Fig. 1 showing the holder after the spring has been compressed and the plunger correspondingly depressed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the same plane as Fig. 3 after the plunger has been projected through aligned rivet holes in a pair of sheets to be joined and pressure on the spring relaxed, permitting the device to clamp the sheets together.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on a larger scale, the view being taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view also on a larger scale taken substantially on the line t'5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing I have shown at iii a metal cup provided with a rim H, the lower edge of which is fiat to provide a seat for the bifurcated jaw 12. of a pair of pliers it which may be used for manipulating the holder and compressing its spring M. The latter surrounds the plunger 25 of the device and bears at one end against the head It of the plunger and at the other end against a metal washer ll seated in the bottom of the cup. The lower, smaller diameter portion of the plunger projects through a hole in the bottom of the cup ill and through Washer i! and is of such cross-sectional dimensions as to fit closely the registering holes B8 in a pair of sheets I!) to be joined.

A slot 20 is cut through the plunger leavin a pair of parallel side walls 21 that are joined together at both ends. Washer H has a slot 22 therein of a width sufiicient to take the plunger. It also has a short radial element or rib 23 which projects into the slot 20 of the plunger. This radial element is continued downwardly in the slot as shown in Fig. 4 at E l, and its exposed suriace within the slot is inclined downwardly and outwardly to form what may be termed a diagonal cam.

In the larger diameter or body part of the plunger I drill an inclined hole upwardly in the plane of the slot 20 to receive one end of a resilient wire or finger 25 which takes a diagonal position in the slot approximately parallel to the diagonal earn 2%, particularly when the plunger is extended as illustrated in Fig. 3. The lower end of this wire is bent to horizontal position forming a projection 25 which directly overlies the bottom of the slot 2%, said projection adapted to be moved laterally with respect to the plunger H5. The bottom of the slot therefore forms an abutment 27 against which the projection 26 rests and by which it is reinforced and enabled to take the load which is imposed upon it in service.

In the use of the invention a holder is placed in a pair of pliers It in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, that is the bifurcated jaw [2 of the pliers is caused to straddle cup I!) and engage the shoulder beneath rim H, while the rounded face of the other jaw 25 is caused to engage the head l6 of the plunger. The operator then by drawing the handles of the pliers together compresses spring l4 and pushes the plunger down through the opening in the bottom of the cup as far as it will go, or to the position of Fig. 3. In this position the'projection 26 is entirely retracted within the confines oi the slot 20, so that the plunger may be lowered through a pair of registering rivet holes it until the bottom of the cup strikes the surface of the upper sheet l9. The operator then releases his grip upon the pliers, permitting the spring I l to raise the plunger to the position of Fig. 4:. The plunger in rising toward the latter position carries the finger 25 upward, causing it to wipe over the diagonal cam 24 and the radial element 23,

thereby flexing the finger and camming its lower the parts have reached this position, the operator removes the pliers and the sheets are pressed together by the spring acting to draw the abutment 21 upwardly and therefore to force the projection 25 upwardly, gripping the two sheets 19 between that projection and the bottom surface of the cup.

While I have described with considerable particularity one specific embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that variations from the disclosed structure may be resorted to. In particular, the projection which engages the sheets on the side opposite the cup may be differently mounted and the cam action which projects it may be differently constituted than in the disclosed embodiment. Also, in the embodiment shown the depending part 24 of the washer I! may be omitted if desired, the cam action being effected by the radial element 23 only.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a slotted plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup, a spring tending to raise said plunger, said plunger comprising a resilient finger fastened at its upper end to the body of the plunger and provided with a lateral projection at its lower end, said finger extending diagonally downward in the slotted plunger, and means at the bottom of the cup engaging the back of said finger for camming it forward as the plunger rises, whereby the lateral projection is caused to engage the outer surface of the other one of the said pair of sheets to be joined.

2. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a slotted plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup, a spring tending to raise said plunger, said plunger comprising a resilient finger fastened at its upper end to the body of the plunger and provided with a lateral projection at its lower end, said finger extending diagonally downward in the slotted plunger, means at the bottom of the cup engaging the back of said finger for camming it forward as the plunger rises, whereby the lateral projection is caused to engage the outer surface of the other one of the said pair of sheets to be joined, and an abutment on the plunger directly beneath said lateral projection to take the load imposed upon said projection.

3. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup adapted to be projected through registering rivet holes in the said sheets, a spring tending to raise the plunger, said plunger comprising a resilient finger having at its lower end a lateral projection, and means carried at the bottom of the cup and cooperating with the said finger as it moves upwardly for camming said lateral projection forward into position to engage with the outer surface of the lower one of the said pair of sheets to be joined, said plunger also comprising an abutment directly beneath said lateral projection to take the load imposed upon said projection.

4. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a slotted plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup, a spring tending to raise said plunger, said plunger comprising a resilient finger fastened at its upper end to the body of the plunger and provided with a lateral projection at its lower end, said finger extending diagonally downward in the slotted plunger, and means at the bottom of the cup comprising a diagonal cam for camming forward the finger as the plunger rises, whereb the lateral projection is caused to engage the outer surface of the other one of the said pair of sheets to be joined.

5. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup adapted to be projected through registering rivet holes in said sheets, a spring tending to raise the plunger, a lateral projection at the lower end of the plunger movable with respect thereto, and means carried at the bottom of the cup and cooperating with the plunger a it moves upward- 1y for camming said lateral projection outward into position to engage with the outer surface of the lower one of said pair of sheets to be joined.

6. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a plunger extending downwardly, through an opening in the bottom of the cup adapted to be projected through registering rivet holes in said sheets, a spring tending to raise the plunger, said plunger including a resilient finger having at its lower end a lateral projection movable relative to said plunger, and means carried at the bottom of the cup and cooperating with said finger as it moves upwardly for urging said lateral projection outward into position to engage with the outer surface of the lower one of said pair of sheets to be joined.

7. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup adapted to be projected through registering rivet holes in said sheets, a spring tending to raise the plunger, a laterally movable projection. at the lower end of the plunger, and a downwardly and outwardly inclined element projecting from said cup and cooperating with said plunger it moves upwardly for urging said lateral projection outward into position to engage with the outer surface of the lower one of said pair of sheets to be joined.

8. In a sheet holder, a cup the low-er surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the age with the outer surface of the lower one of the said pair of sheets to be joined.

9. In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a slotted plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup, a spring tending to raise said plunger, said plunger including a resilient finger fastened at its upper end to the body of the plunger and provided with a lateral projection at its lower end, a washer seated in the bottom of said cup and having an opening through which said plunger projects, and a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface formed on said washer and cooperating with said finger as it moves upwardly for camming said lateral projection outward into position to engage with the outer surface of the lower one of said pair of sheets to be joined.

15). In a sheet holder, a cup the lower surface of which functions as an abutment for engagement with the outer surface of one of a pair of sheets to be joined, a slotted plunger extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of the cup, a spring tending to raise said plunger, said plunger including a resilient finger fastened at its upper end to the body of the plunger and provided with a lateral projection at its lower end, a washer seated in the bottom of said cup and having an opening through which said plunger projects, a rib projecting from said washer into the slot of said plunger, and a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface formed on said rib and cooperating with said finger as it moves upwardly for camrning said lateral projection outward into position to engage with the outer surface of the lower one of said pair of sheets to be joined.

ANDREW J. UNETIC. 

